Community Education

Gospel Music in Black Churches

December 17, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Desmond Campus

In the historic black church, praying, preaching, and singing
are viewed as the three pillars of religious life. Before
African-Americans were allowed open access to the pulpit or were
provided the space and opportunity for prayer, the enslaved in the
United States created and shared communal songs. The music of the
enslaved, the spirituals, contained the seeds of theology: a
theology focused on freedom, resistance, and a quest for humanity.
Black sacred music eventually evolved beyond spirituals and
continued through several identifiable phases including prayer and
praise songs, black meter music, hymns of improvisation, and
historic and modern gospel music. Each of the musical phases
corresponds to various time periods in the history of African
Americans and reflects not only varying musical styles and
typographies, but also various struggles in the African-American
community at given points in time. Come join us to learn more about
gospel music and how it reflects the religious history of the
African-American community and experience.